Perfect
by cali-luv
Summary: The rating may change. What happens when Sarah's dreams and childhood innosence are left behind stone walls and held in a leather gloved hand? I hate Summaries. R
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I do not own Labyrinth. It belongs to Jim Henson Studios and Lucas Films.

The song "Perfect" belongs to Alanis Morrisette.

Sarah flew to the asphalt as her foot caught on someone else's. Flinging her arms out to stop her fall she landed painfully on her right wrist, making a cracking sound. The schoolyard was silent, and then shocked whispers spread from ear to ear.

_-Did you see that? -_

_-Kayla tripped her. -_

_-That was brilliant!-_

_-Oh, I feel bad for her. Look, she is all messed up.-_

_-She deserves it, she is such a freak.-_

Freak. What a horrible word. Sarah pushed herself up with her good arm and looked around at the group of 8th graders, carefully avoiding the eyes of the person who had deliberately tripped her. Doing her best to keep her pride and look indifferent, she turned her back on the group and continued walking.

_-She has never even kissed a boy.-_

_-Eww, who would want to kiss that?!-_

_- I bet she plays Dungeons and dragons.-_

_-Ha-ha, yeah! With her mother!-_

_-I'll bet her mother is a freak, just like her.-_

That was it. Sarah turned around to glare at the person who had said this. It was Kayla, the same girl who had tripped her. She walked up to her and spit on the floor in front of her perfectly pedicured toes.

"My mother is dead, and none of your business." With that, she slapped Kayla's face angrily and watched the smug look disappear.

-_did you see that? She really IS crazy!-_

_-Kayla, ohmygosh, are you alright? I can't believe you let her TOUCH you.-_

She didn't care what they said. Sarah walked away, proudly. At least she had left a mark, even if it persuaded them that she was a freak. As she turned out of the schoolyard and behind the wall of the sidewalk, she pulled out her wrist.

"Time to survey the damage," she said to herself. She had done a lot of talking to herself recently. No one else deemed her important enough to speak to, unless it was in mocking tones or harsh insults.

Her wrist was bent at an awkward angle, and purple and green bruises were beginning to appear around the bone and palm. "Great, I can't wait to explain this to Karen." She flinched as she tried to rotate her hand and all that resulted was another cracking noise. "Suck it up, Sarah."

- -

That evening she rolled over in her bed when she saw the headlights of Karen's car shine up into her window.

She had been thinking things over ever since school had gotten out. This wasn't worth it anymore. The masquerade she was presenting was getting trampled on by everyone she knew. Sarah couldn't dance by herself anymore; no one was watching her fall from grace. They only intervened in her life to push her closer to the edge, to the line that divided her sanity from her dream world.

Her dream world? It had a name. The Underground, the Labyrinth. A tear rolled down her face as she remembered it. She had fought so damn hard to escape, her whole life she had been escaping. She was running to her books, her plays and made-up friends. She had nowhere to run now, no Goblin King to teach her a valuable lesson.

Was that even real? Yes, she knew it had been real. The ordeal in the Labyrinth was only a few months ago. She had left feeling so empowered, so strong and mature. She had grown up, but in the mean time had let her childhood die behind in the maze. Her innocence had been in the leather gloved hand of a tyrant, and she didn't even think he knew that.

She'd gone through every scenario possible. She hated him, for a short while. She thought he was the foulest creature alive, to take her baby brother away from her. But she knew he only did it because she had asked him to, _wished_ him to. She wanted to hate him, wished to hate him but she could not. All her hate was introverted; she despised every part of her. Sarah knew her lesson from Jareth was to appreciate her life, what she had, and to mature as a person. All she could do was hate everything about herself, the fact that she was so selfish and had wished away Toby. No one liked her, no one _loved_ her. Sarah was positive that no one on earth knew her besides the Goblin King, and a fair lot of good that does. He _knew_ her, her weaknesses and desires. He knew her dreams.

She hated this. Her only friend was her only enemy in a world full of complete strangers she saw everyday....and she had only known him for thirteen hours. But hadn't it been longer? For years she had read the pages of the Labyrinth, folded the corners and re-read until her life became the story. He knew her heart, he was the only person who she could honestly say that about.

He was gone. She had refused him and all he had to offer her.

She had refused her dreams.

"_It's a crystal, nothing more. But if you turn it this way it will show you your dreams."_

The masquerade ball had been inside of a crystal that had floated down to her from the castle. Did that mean that her dreams consisted of her and Jareth dancing together in an enchanted world full of adventure and mystery?

Of course it did. Anything was better than this place that she hated nearly as much as she did herself. If she convinced herself that someone cared about her, even the king of the Goblins, she would need to be held by him, to be told she was special.

Oh, to be special. But that was her pretend world, her ideal and her dreams. The dream she had given up when her childhood disappeared. Her reality was four cold walls that made up her sanctuary. Sarah's reality was the cold step-mother who envied and hated her for not being the model child. Karen resented her father's love for Sarah, even though she received all of his attention leaving none for the child. The children at school were so cruel...

And to think she had once called him cruel. Oh, no.

They called her names, the pushed her and pulled her hair. They made fun of her for the clothes she wore, and sad state of her belongings. They would tell her that her dead mother didn't care enough to leave any money behind, that she wanted her to starve.

-_starve, Sarah! Do us all a favor and disappear.-_

It used to never matter, nothing could touch her. Her vibrant spirit had a glass casing, and all painful memories and thoughts bounced off the surface. All that mattered was imagination and dramatizations.

But things had changed so much. Sarah couldn't rely on her spirit to help her anymore. She had no happy thoughts or fairy dust to allow her to fly above the pain and hurt. Oh, how it hurt.

"Sarah Williams, get down here right now." The clipped voice of her step-mother cut through her mind.

Sometimes is never quite enough

If you're flawless then you'll win my love

Don't forget to win first place

Don't forget to keep that smile on your face

When she reached the kitchen she saw her father sitting at the table and Karen leaning against the wall. "So Sarah, I have been informed that you have been fighting at school." Sarah frowned, "How did you know that?" she asked.

"Your principal is in my book club! Do you know how much of an embarrassment this is? What an embarrassment _you_ are?" Her eyes were cold.

Be a good girl

try a little harder

You've got to measure up

and make me prouder

Sarah moved to explain herself, apologize. "Karen, I'm sorry. This girl, Kayla, she is horrid. She tripped me, and-"

"You know what, Sarah? The whole world does not revolve around _you."_ She laughed bitterly, "hell, in a _perfect_ world you wouldn't even exist."

How long before you screw it up?

How many times do I have to tell you to hurry up?

With everything I do for you

The least you can do is keep quiet.

Sarah's heart sank. She looked to her father, who had once upon a time stood up for her. He couldn't meet her eyes; instead he took his wife's hand.

"You won't have to worry about me anymore, I'm sorry for the trouble I have caused." What could she say to them? She didn't matter; they didn't care about her heart. Daddies were supposed to protect the hearts of their little girls. She turned away to leave, but Karen grabbed her hand to turn her back.

Be a good girl

You've gotta try a little harder

That simply wasn't good enough

to make us proud

Sarah screamed in unexpected pain as daggers shot through her injured wrist.

"Jesus!" Karen exclaimed, "What did you do to yourself? I can't believe you, you are just..." She gathered herself for a moment and spat, "You are the most pathetic piece of filth I have ever seen. I am ashamed of you."

You'll make up for what I blew

What's the problem, why are you crying?

We'll love you just the way you are

if you're perfect.

Karen pushed Sarah into the counter where she hit her head hard and slumped to the ground, holding her wrist to her chest.

"Come along, dear." She said, turning to her husband. He stiffened and looked at Sarah remorsefully. He looked back at his wife, torn.

"Alright, honey." He sighed and walked up the stairs. Before he reached them he turned to Sarah and said, "Goodnight, Sarah."


	2. Glitter Through the fog

Disclaimer: Labyrinth isn't mine, only this story line. All Labyrinthy things belong to Jim Henson Productions and Lucas Films. 3 Hallelujah for that. In all seriousness, if Labyrinth was mine it would be about Jareth and his misadventures with dry cleaners and how he had to go around for the entire hour and a half span of the film naked. Such a pity...

Back to the story!

- - -

She pushed herself onto her hands and knees and crawled over to the couch. Her head and wrist were screaming in pain, but her heart's sobs were the most deafening. Come get me, Jareth please. The words were about to spill out of her mouth, but all she could get out was,

"Please," before her eyes closed. As soon as they closed, they opened again.

But the view was different. She was still on the couch, and her brain was swimming as though in murky water. Glitter was spread about her face, body and living room. She tried to sit up, but was pressed back down into the cushions by gentle gloves hands. She closed her eyes as a finger traced her jaw line.

"Sarah, look at me." The voice was cold, but concerned. She opened her eyes and looked into the face of who was standing over her.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked her.

She frowned in confusion, trying to recall his face, his name. "Yes," she whispered. "You're him. I danced with you, there was sparkles," Sarah raised her fingers and watched glitter fall from them, "like these. Oh, it was beautiful."

His hard gaze broke for a moment as he smiled. "Do you recall my name?"

Sarah studied his face for a moment and then whispered dreamily, "Jareth. Your name is Jareth."

He nodded and sat beside her as she lay on the couch sleepily trying to comprehend what was happening. "Sarah, you must understand. I cannot come and get you."

Her smile faded and she whispered, "But you are here, you came. I begged for you in my dream and," Her words wandered off, unsure.

"No," He said, the coldness back in his voice. "You denied your dreams. You denied me, Sarah. You ran from me and everything I offered you to come back to this." He motioned around him to the living room strewn with glitter. "Did you honestly hate me that much, to return to a world that hates you?"

She sat up, and this time he didn't stop her. "But I don't understand," Her head was still foggy and unclear. "The Labyrinth was just a test, wasn't it? I had to deny you, you were the enemy."

Jareth's gaze hardened, "I wasn't the enemy Sarah, I was the challenge. You defeated me yes, but you also rejected me. I need you to understand that, and I need to understand why you wished for me in your dreams."

Sarah reached out her hands to clutch his silk poet's shirt. "Why are you being so kind to me? You were so cruel..." Her eyes flew to his, trying her best in her dazed state to read his expression.

However, he kept himself well guarded. His eyes were cold but the hands over hers that were gripping his shirt were gentle. She flinched when his gloved fingers grazed her wrist. "Sarah," Jareth looked down at her injured hand. He was about to comment on it, but sighed instead. "Why did you call to me? You never have before. I was under the impression that my world was of little importance to you now."

Her eyes widened and tears started to make their little treks down her cheeks. "Oh, no!" She exclaimed, clutching his shirt tighter in her small hands, as though she were afraid if she let go he would disappear forever. "No, your world is all I have, it's all I _am. _This place means nothing to me, it never has. I just needed to get Toby home; I couldn't allow myself to be the same selfish girl I was when I wished him away. He has a chance here; he has people who love him. I have no one."

Sarah knew she wasn't making very much sense, her sentences were fragmented and her breath was quickening. Panic, she felt panicked and shocked and cornered all at once. She was frustrated that her brain could not comprehend anything, and she couldn't remember what had happened to make her this way...

"I just... need happy thoughts and fairy dust, right?" She cried softly, and he watched her, his hand still covering hers. "I can fly away, above all of it. If I had known you would have come back...I wouldn't..."

His eyes narrowed and he took her chin in his hand, making her look at him. Her eyes were unfocused and bloodshot and her skin was abnormally cold. "Sarah mine, what did you do to yourself?"

Sarah grimaced, obviously struggling to breath. She tried to pull him closer to her, to hold on to his body heat. She was trying to remember, to think back on what had happened before she fell asleep... before she passed out.

"I was in my room and... I saw Karen's headlights. I didn't want... I couldn't..." She looked at him again, eyes filled with shame. "Who would care? No one will care, Jareth. There is literally no one on this earth who wants to hold me, or listen to me. No one will even come to my funeral."

Jareth's eyes grew wide as he listened to her moment of clarity. "What did you do? Tell me, this instant." Sarah shrunk back from him, trying to remember her bedroom. Her posters, her bed sheets. Labyrinth sitting with its faded cover on her bedside table. Beside the novel... was a bottle of pills. The bottle had been full before, but now it lay empty on the floor.

"I took pills." She swallowed, settling back into the pillows. "I just want it to be over, I want it to end.

"Sarah, sit up!" Jareth wrapped his arm around her back, forcing her to open her eyes. "You need to wake up from this dream. Do you understand? You need to wake up and say the words. Wish yourself to me; it is very important that you wake up this instant before you slip away."

She looked at him, trying to compute what he was saying. "Oh... okay." She whispered, closing her eyes.

"No, Sarah," He grabbed her injured wrist and she jerked up in pain, screaming. His eyes were hard and cruel, "Wake up, now! This is not a child's game. Wake up and wish for me." He twisted her wrist painfully, and Sarah's eyes flew open as she fell onto the floor.

The air was different, thinner without the heavy scent of magic. All the glitter was gone, but there were red marks on her wrist from where he had clenched it. After a few moments she knew that she had somehow woken up from her unconscious state.

"_Wake up now! This is not a child's game. Wake up and wish for me."_

What? This was so confusing. Why were there tears on her face and blood on her neck? Oh, her wrist hurt. It _hurt._ She looked down at it and gasped as her dream came flooding back. She rolled over onto her back and closed her eyes, trying to stop her body from the violent shakes taking over it.

"Goblin King," She started, but stopped. No, those weren't the right words at all.

"_The king had fallen in love with the girl..."_

She closed her eyes and started again. "Take me away from this awful place..."

No. Not it either. Why wasn't her brain working?

"_...it doesn't even begin with I wish..."_

Sarah's eyes flew open and she whispered, "I wish the Goblin King would come and take me away," she closed her eyes, "right now."

She smiled as she felt his presence, glitter falling onto her face and hugging her eyelashes. When she felt him wrap his arms around her, she fell back into a dreamless slumber.

**Review me, please. I only got three on chapter 1, I died a little inside.**

**But thanks to those who reviewed, you are lovely souls.**

**Bri**

**FEED THE WRITER BY CLICKING THE REVIEW BUTTON! :)**


	3. Man in the Moon

**_Author's Note: Okay, I need help. I love beautiful words and putting them together, but I am in dire need of some plot development/outlining help. I am very indecisive, and could use any help offered. I would give you complete credit if you wanted to help in any way, including co-writing it with me. Email me at _****_ or instant message me on AIM/AOL at xcaliluvin916x_**

_**Thank you. **_

**Disclaimer – I own nothing from "Labyrinth." Only the plot is mine. 3 The lullaby "Gartan Mother's Lullaby" is an old Irish folksong that I can't properly site because it's been around since forever. **

Chapter 3 – Man in the Moon

Sarah's vision was gone. Her mind was obscured by the image of herself years younger, sitting in a small wooden boat trailing her delicate fingers through a sea of obsidian. The waves whispered electric words of magic, telling her tails of unicorns and mermaids. Silver and purple specks of luster swirled around the surface of the black water with the movements of her hands. Sarah gazed deeply into the face of the water, listening to it's tales of beautiful things unattainable in her life. The little boat swayed with the gentle current, creating a rhythm and song all of its own.

"Sleep, my child for the red bee hums, the silent twilight falls,"

Sarah's green eyes sleepily rose from the calm water to view the owner of the beautiful voice. Hazel eyes looked lovingly back at Sarah's heart shaped face. "Oh mother, your voice sounds like bells chiming." Her mother smiled, Sarah's reflection mirrored in her soft gaze. All she could see was her beautiful daughter, her light and mirth.

"Aeval from the grey rock comes to wrap the world in thrall,

a lyanovan oh, my child, my joy

my love, my heart's desire

a cricket sings you a lullaby

beside the dyin' fire."

Linda's slight Irish accent sang the words to the little girl, each verse holding emotion that could only be conveyed through song. She sang to Sarah from her heart, as she watched her innocent eyes fill with wonder and adoration. "Come here, my dear one." She spoke, pulling Sarah into her lap. As Sarah moved, her eyes went back to the hand still trailing in the tide. The purple gleam had disappeared, replaced instead by a stunning sapphire blue. Sarah snuggled into the warmth of her mother's embrace, and begged "Mom, please sing to me." The ocean lapped up gently onto the sides of the little boat, licking and caressing it into a sleepy pattern of rest. Linda tweaked her nose gently, her hazel eyes sparkling. She hummed for a moment, and continued,

"Dusk is drawn and the Green Man's thorn

is wreathed in rings of fog.

Sheevra sails his boat 'till morn',

Upon the starry bog."

Pausing in her lullaby, she pulled little Sarah closer to her chest. "Sarah, look at the moon." Sarah tilted her head above the tranquil water to the dark blue sky above her. The moon was un-naturally large and bright tonight, but she did not shade her eyes and turn away.

"I see a man, mother." Sarah giggled lightly, flicking her fingers in the water. "He is watching us, he has always watched me with his miss-matched eyes."

Linda smiled down at her daughter. "Oh? Miss-matched, are they?"

Sarah's eyes grew serious as she supplied, "Oh yes. He has one eye like yours, and one like daddy's." She looked from her mother back up to the moon. "It is so strange," Sarah continued, thoughtfully. "That I know this in my heart, and yet the moon has no more color than snow."

Linda said nothing for a long while as they both studied the moon from the tiny craft. Finally, her mother spoke, trying desperately to keep her voice calm and unwavering. "Sarah, I wish you to know something very important." Sarah twisted around in her mother's lap, smiling.

"Oh, a secret? Mother, tell me please!" She clapped her hands and rocked excitedly.

Linda took her small hands, and said seriously, "Yes, Sarah. A wonderful secret you must never forget." Linda pointed to the moon, "See up there? He will always protect you, always." Sarah's nose wrinkled in confusion.

"Mom, you protect me, and daddy too!" Linda made calming hush noises to make Sarah stop interrupting her.

"I know, baby. But one day... one day mommy won't be here, and daddy... You will have protection. I promise you. The man in the moon of whom you speak, he will always watch you. When you cry, he will hold you. Your tears will become another drop in the ocean we rock upon now," Linda motioned to the slowly fading blue of the water. It had been so much more brilliant and entrancing only moments before.

Sarah withdrew her hand from the sea, frowning. "Mom, I don't understand."

"Honey," Linda began, but Sarah stood up abruptly. "No!" she cried, "I cannot bear it, mother. I don't wish to speak of things like this, of you not being with me for always."

The once calm waters began to churn, increasing in violence and intensity. A lightening bolt thundered across the sky, reflecting in Linda's watering eyes. Sarah looked to the water. It was black, all trace of blue was diseased and ruined forever.

"Sarah, listen to me!" Linda stood, trying to calm her daughter. "I'm not saying right now, but honey, we never know how-"

"No!" Sarah screamed, stomping her little foot on the bottom of the boat. The waves became rapids, pounding fists of salt against the boat, tossing it about like a child's toy. Rain started to pour down from the sky without warning, ripping large potholes in the water's surface, increasing its rage. "Do not speak of death, I know you mean to." The little girl stomped her foot again in frustration,

...and the boat tipped, throwing her mother off balance and into the sea. Sarah screamed at the sudden accident, peering over the edge of the boat frantically looking for any trace of Linda. However, there were not even ripples from her fall, no sign that Linda had ever existed let alone fallen into the depths of that obsidian tide. "Mom!" Sarah screamed, "Mommy, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for you to fall, I'm sorry. It's my fault, I-"

"Oh, Sarah. Stop crying you foolish girl. Your mother is not coming back." Sarah turned in her kneeling position to see a fashionably dressed blonde woman looking at her disapprovingly. Behind the woman Sarah could see the sea, raging and filled with red glitter. Red, the color of anger and vengeance that could never be hers. Pain and loss would be all she would have now, the little girl would soon learn.

"Who are you?" She asked dumbly.

"Oh, _really._ You know who I am." Sarah was about to protest this when a masculine voice came from the woman's left, and Sarah wondered why she hadn't noticed her father in the boat along with them, holding the woman's hand.

"Sarah, this is Karen." He said in a patronizing tone.

"Oh, Daddy! Help mother, she fell. Help her!" Sarah clung to her father's pant leg, tears of panic streaming down her face.

Her father considered her carefully with his greenish blue eyes. "Well," he began. "I think it would be much wiser to let her rest, Sarah."

Her heart pounded in sync with the thrashing waves. "Wh-what? Dad," Mr. Williams leaned forward, smiling. "Sarah, I have wonderful news! We are going to be a family." He smiled at her as though she was smiling back in rejoice.

Her jaw hung open, tears dripping into the sea and making it only larger. It still tossed the boat, furiously rebelling against the dainty craft. Mad, mad for not breaking – she thought for a moment before saying, "What are you talking about? Daddy, mom isn't _gone,_ she just went-"

Her father straightened again and laughed heartily as though she had told a wonderful joke. "That's my girl!" He shouted. He turned to the woman and beamed at her. Placing a hand on her belly, he said excitedly, "This is Karen. We will be married now that we are free of-" His eyes fell to Sarah for a moment, and he rephrased to, "now that enough time has passed."

Sarah stood, balling her fists in rage. "But she only just left me! How _could_ you? Daddy, protect me, please." He laughed again, turning to her.

"Meet Karen, Sarah." He looked down to her belly, and for the first time Sarah noticed that it was swollen. "And meet your new brother, Toby."

Sarah sobbed and turned away from the horrible sight. Another violent wave crashed into the boat and she toppled over into the crimson streaked water. "Oh! Help!" she screamed as her head broke back through. "Daddy! Karen!" She gripped the edge of the boat and hauled her arms over to hang. When she looked up she saw her father holding a new born baby. He cooed at him and stroked his round perfect cheeks.

"Dad, help!" Her father did not dissuade his gaze from Toby, but Karen turned to her in distaste. Sighing, she stepped over to the little girl and took one of her hands. "Didn't you realize?" She barked in a cold tone.

Sarah's eyes clouded with confusion. "What?" she breathed, frightened of what she saw in Karen's face.

Karen laughed heartily, wiping her eyes. Then she pried Sarah's fingers from the rim of the boat and whispered as though telling a secret, "There isn't any room for you in this family."

Sarah fell back underwater, and when she resurfaced the little boat was moving away. She looked up to find the moon, and cried to him to rescue her. She was cold, and the water was thrashing her weak body mercilessly like a rag doll. Her vision was blurring, and the last thing she saw was blinding white as the moon swept down to embrace her.

Sarah lay in complete oblivion for a period of time she had no knowledge of. All she could hear was the gentle sound of her mother's voice, soothing her to stay under the influence of slumber.

"A lyanovan, oh

the pale half moon

hath brimmed his cusp in dew

and weeps to hear this sad sleep tune

I sing my love to you...to you...

I sing my love to you."

_**Thanks guys. Here are my hey darling. Thank you for always reviewing :)**_

JoeynPacey2gether4ever Karen is a bitch, but I am trying to not portray her as the typical evil monster. I know I came off really strong on that, but she is just entirely flawed and jealous.

Moonjava Thank you, dear.

TerpentineMind Thank you. I know it came off some-what realistic, and it bothers me. I am going to expand on that a lot more in the future though. There have been a lot of emotionally challenging things in her past, especially the relationship between her and her maternal mother. I think I came off a little strong on Karen's horridness, though. So I am going to do some flash-backs and show how things lead up to be that way. Also, her father is completely submissive to Karen, making Sarah reach out for the only dominant male that has touched her life. Oooh, and Jareth's character will be rather convoluted, I promise you.

"An interested viewer" Thank you! I'm not exactly sure, either. I think the underground will be different now that she is older and her world is darker and struck with reality. The labyrinth was compiled straight from her imagination and treasured objects, and now that she has gone through so much... the labyrinth will be a tad darker. So, friend or foe? Good question.

Tabbicat12 Thank you. I plan to continue.

Reverie919 Aww, thank you. I think I kinda over-played how terrible her world is. I am going to expand on it. Jareth isn't going to be all peaches and cream this whole time, either.

Moonjava Thank you again!

Tatsuhiko Shido Thank you! I am honored.

Lilly and Mika Aww thanks to both of you!

Katie thanks love.

Sinister Darkfire Thank you, that is what I was going for. Too many fics focus on how Jareth took her dreams, ect. Adulthood took her dreams.


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